A letter to the Sunday Times which was published on 11th July 2010.

The Rolling Stone article that appeared in News Review under the headline “Downfall of the Jedi general” (June 27th) states that the purpose of the now-sacked General McChrystal in going to Paris in April was “to keep up the fiction” that America had allies in the war in Afghanistan that “has become the exclusive property of the United States”.

In fact, Britain has suffered more losses proportionately to deployed forces and population than any other country, including the United States.  Last week saw the 314th death (not to be confused with casualties, as there are more than 1,000 of these).  No other Nato country, except Canada, comes near these proportionate sacrifices.  Is the expensive British embassy in Washington telling the American people about this?  One suspects it is not.